This is Birdland: My observations on today's game
This was the first game I attended this year, and I can't imagine a better way to start. When we decided to go to this game, it was based on two things. 1) First game of the season where the forecast was for sunny and not freezing, and 2) Bedard. Neither of those things worked out. Bedard "injured his hip", and it was cold and rainy.
I spent the first half of the game sitting in left field behind my new favorite Oriole, Luke Scott. There weren't a ton of people in those sections, but they were loud and supportive of our new left fielder. He got an appreciative Luuuke when coming out to the field for the first time, and each time he made a play. He seemed to enjoy the attention as well. He acknowledged the crowd with a glove wave and turned and gave us a nice smile when someone yelled, "I would have traded you for Tejada straight up!"
At the end of the 6th inning we moved down to the first base side to get another vantage point, and got there just in time to see Luke Scott's double and hear the Luuukes from all around the stadium. He is quickly endearing himself to the fans, that's for sure. By the time he came up in the ninth the Luuuukes from the relatively small crowd were so loud that you could barely hear him announced as he walked to the plate.
Not so good at winning fans? That would be Aubrey Huff. At his introduction he got just a few boos, but with each at bat they seemed to get louder. I found it pretty distasteful. I'm not a huge fan of the guy, but it's time to let it go.
The 9th inning was, as you can imagine, pretty much the most awesome thing ever. I pretty much expected to just watch the O's go three up, three down and go home. The crowd was 100% into it. It was totally electric. From Markakis' double to Little Luis' game winning hit, my heart was pounding and the crowd was great. I thought we were pretty loud for being so small in number. When the game ended with Luis getting mobbed in the center of the infield, I didn't want to go home. I just wanted to stay at Camden Yards with the celebrating fans and players. Sometimes I wonder why I follow a team like this, when so often it feels like work instead of play. But days like this make it all worth it.
Some random things from the game:
The ushers all around seemed so much nicer than I remember. Something has definitely changed about them. I was able to move around the stadium with no trouble and sit wherever I wanted. In years past it could be the 8th inning with 15 people left in the stands and they'd keep you out of the "good" seats as though their lives depended on it. You might be interested to know that Steve Traschel, Kevin Millar, and Brian Roberts prefer the Beastie Boys, while Luke Scott, Nick Markakis, and Jeremy Guthrie prefer the Beach Boys! Adam Jones prefers neither. The new scoreboards are very nice. Nothing really groundbreaking, but to anyone who saw the old version of graphics (including the pulsing TODD, my favorite), it's like night and day.
FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.
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Huff
Really I think everyone just has to live with it, no matter what you think anymore. Roger Maris was booed in '61 by the boner Yankee fans.
by SC on Apr 6, 2008 10:45 PM EDT 0 recs
As far as I'm concerned
Aubrey was just talking about the Preakness when he raised the topic of Equine Manure. That's being civic minded and entirely forgivable!
by Bromo on
Apr 7, 2008 9:37 AM EDT
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Sounds to me
like Bromo needs to stop spiking the Seltzer.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 9:53 AM EDT
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I don't mind the booing at all
Huff made a mistake and has to live with the consequences. That's life, folks.
by PhilR8 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:33 PM EDT
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No Doubt
let it go. Any production from Huff early in the year is an added bonus.
"When you are in with the Lord there's just one reward, and they'd just as soon make it come true." -REK
by BPinOK on Apr 6, 2008 10:54 PM EDT 0 recs
insulting the city of baltimore and talking about jerking off
is not enough for me to think huff warrants booing.
begging for a trade to get out of the team pisses me off. In that regard, Tejada should have been boo'd every game last year.
by Y Not on Apr 6, 2008 11:07 PM EDT 0 recs
Huff
People in Baltimore have a lot of pride in their city and Huff offended them. I don't see a thing wrong with people still booing him a week into the season, or even later if they feel like it. Baseball teams represent civic pride as much or more than any other institution to be found in our cities. For an obnoxious, overpaid athlete to not only forget that but to make a mockery of the city on national radio in the process is inexcusable. He should feel lucky all he's getting is boos - because there are plenty of Northeast cities where it would be a hell of a lot worse.
by Jonny Pops on Apr 6, 2008 11:49 PM EDT 0 recs
word.
"Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crowbar once a day."
by spike2131 on
Apr 6, 2008 11:56 PM EDT
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agreed
if it were Philly, he would have been pelted by a battery
"If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job." -Brooks Robinson
by exitfare on
Apr 7, 2008 8:19 AM EDT
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to your passionate argument...
I yawn. (but i respect.)
But apparently the 7,000 of the 14,000 fans in the stand agree with you.
by Y Not on
Apr 7, 2008 8:29 AM EDT
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Huff-Let it go.!!
It,s over he said he,s sorry,that it was a mistake.
Bad judgement on his part for sure.We should
be bigger then That.
by hagers on Apr 7, 2008 12:38 AM EDT 0 recs
wow
i had a comment deleted.
"If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job." -Brooks Robinson
by exitfare on
Apr 7, 2008 10:37 AM EDT
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no you didn't
It got hidden. And although I didn't do it, I'm standing by it.
by SC on
Apr 7, 2008 11:08 AM EDT
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Can you explain
this hidden thing to the uninitiated among us? How does it happen? Who does the hiding, etc.?
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 12:14 PM EDT
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The moderators have tools. Including deleting and hiding.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:19 PM EDT
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Okay
So is there some new protocol around here? I mean if people are going to be censored, the community should at least be made of aware of what the policy is. And frankly, I read this thread before and don't recall see anything that was over the top - but I could've missed the post in question. What did exitfare write that was was censored and why?
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 12:48 PM EDT
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don't be a dick just to be a dick
This is a pretty easy rule.
It wasn't anything over the top, but it was pointless.
To go further: Don't insult spelling and grammar. I just don't give a fuck, it starts long, ridiculous arguments, and nobody gets anything out of it.
by SC on
Apr 7, 2008 12:54 PM EDT
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Yea srsly
Grammer iz for books &shite. It has no places on teh interwebz.
by punkrawka on
Apr 7, 2008 12:58 PM EDT
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I think hagers was writing a haiku, anyway
I thought it was pretty sweet.
by PhilR8 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:59 PM EDT
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Excuse me?
I've been civil and respectful in what I'm asking here, Scott, and I expect the same in return. You have no fucking right to call me a dick and you owe me an apology.
People come onto your website to freely express themselves. This certainly isn't a 1st Amendment case before the Supreme Court, but if people are going to spend their time and efforts on here they deserve to know what's up with policies such as these -which, frankly, you're still being ambiguous about.
I don't think I'm alone in my feeling that censorship is not cool. I can see it used in isolated, extreme circumstances at most in order to help the discussions around here. But like I said, I was reading this thread earlier and didn't see anything that resembled that. To be honest, I've probably written shit myself on here in some of my endless, pointless arguments that deserved to get cut off - and you would've been doing me a favor by saving me a lot time. But I never see stuff like that with exitfare. So let's step out from behind the curtain on this. If people are getting "hidden" for spelling, grammar, and, uhhhh, pointlessness (???) like some other blogs I could name, then that should be out in the open - because it would appear that this is a change in normal way of doing things around here.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 1:31 PM EDT
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I don't want to speak for SC
but I took his comment as "general advice" and not directed at anyone in particular.
by PhilR8 on
Apr 7, 2008 1:33 PM EDT
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I'm not Scott
But I'm pretty certain he wasn't calling you a dick. You asked what the policy was, and he said the policy is to not be a dick just to be a dick.
Formerly known as Javylicious.
by Stacey on
Apr 7, 2008 1:33 PM EDT
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see below
it was not hidden because it had bad grammar. it was hidden because it attacked some else's.
truly, there's nothing to see here.
by zknower on
Apr 7, 2008 1:34 PM EDT
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OMG YOU did it?
This is a "Luke, I am your father." moment. Talk about Nixon going to China.
The thing is, as you are well aware since we've had these discussions in the past, this is a slippery slope. On the logic of "it was hidden because it attacked some else's.", AMA is never gonna be allowed to post on here again. Now that might make some people (me) very happy, but other's might not like that and I need to respect that. That's part of freedom, baby, yeahhhhh.
On another note, exitfare has been experimenting with this written sarcasm thing that - as I'm sure he knows - doesn't work too well when it's written. But, dude, that's for him to work out with people, not you. Like I say if this becomes the precedent, there's a whole lotta people ain't gonna be able to post on here anymore.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 1:44 PM EDT
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sarcasm is fine
But this was just being a dick for dick's sake. I've got nothing against exitfare or anyone else, bro, but I'm not going to have people making fun of each other for something as petty as grammar.
by SC on
Apr 7, 2008 2:04 PM EDT
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I don't think AMA has ever attacked someone else's grammar or spelling
There's a big difference between saying, "you're an idiot for thinking that way", which happens here all the time, and is typically about opinions at least nominally related to baseball, and outright mocking someone's grammar, spelling, syntax, what-have-you, in a way that contributes nothing to the discussion and is not meant to be a helping hand.
Way back during the first OH dustup, it was noted that grammar has to be tight over there. That's not the case here, and with a lot of new members coming on, I didn't want to start seeing grammar flamewars being set as a precedent.
Don't really understand the Nixon-China remark. I mean, I understand it politically and culturally, but if you're somehow implying that I've jumped on people for grammar in the past, I think you're mistaken.
I don't think we're going down any slippery slope. CC is still a place where you can say damn near anything. I don't think there's been a lot of deletion or hiding in the past, and I don't expect there will be in the future.
Lastly, to quote you, this is for exitfare to work out. As I made plain below, if he doesn't understand why I hid the comment, I'm happy to talk with him about it.
by zknower on
Apr 7, 2008 2:28 PM EDT
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re:
The Nixon going to China remark refers to the fact that in the past you have been an avid proponent of free speech from what I've seen - yet you're the one doing the censoring. You get the comparison I'm sure so I won't spell it out.
I can see what you're getting at - we couldn't agree more that grammar flamewars are lame - but the slippery slope remains once you start shutting down what people are saying. Personally I'd prefer it be handled by the person being chastised telling him to shut the fuck up and 5 or 6 people agreeing in no uncertain terms.
Lastly, to quote you, this is for exitfare to work out. As I made plain below, if he doesn't understand why I hid the comment, I'm happy to talk with him about it.
This is not just about exitfare. If myself and others are spending our time here we need to know what this place is about when it comes to issues like this. And if something is scraping a little too close to the edge, I'm going to speak up about it - and I know you'd do the same because you've done so in the past, about the very same issue we're talking about right now and in the very same role - that of advocate - that I am taking right now.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 2:47 PM EDT
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And I wouldn't ask you to do otherwise.
If myself and others are spending our time here we need to know what this place is about when it comes to issues like this.
Look, shutting down what people are saying is very, VERY rare here. But not without precedent, as I'm sure you know. LB3 a couple years ago comes to mind. No, there is no specific code, set of rules, subcommittee here; nor have we ever needed one. You know from your own experience that lively debate, even debate of a personal nature, happens all the time.
And yet I'm sure you and I can both think of examples of speech that would not and should not be tolerated here... examples whose hiding you'd support.
Does that mean we have to enumerate all those examples? Well that's not my call, but I hope not, because who wants to spend time on such BS? Do you think we need a precise set of guidelines? I like the fact that we don't have one.
I'd say, let's just accept that things will evolve the way they do, imperfectly no doubt, let the dust settle and get back to talking O's. As far as some kind of increased censorship is concerned, I really think you have nothing to worry about.
by zknower on
Apr 7, 2008 3:16 PM EDT
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So far
in my tenure on here, censorship has been few and far between. That's the way I like it - because frankly I'm not sure if any of us is really smart enough to know what should and shouldn't be censored except in some very rare egregious instances.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 3:30 PM EDT
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Dude
I'm not saying I'm smart enough to always know what should and shouldn't be censored. None of us is. Hence the whole, "let's not try to make a comprehensive list of all offenses" argument I made above, coupled with the "err on the side of free speech" behavior.
I'm just a guy doing my best to make a good call in an imperfect situation. Basta!
by zknower on
Apr 7, 2008 3:40 PM EDT
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censorship
i can't believe we're arguing censorship on a free blog. the owners and moderators have the right to remove comments as they see fit. as a user and commenter, submitting to the TOS of SB Nation, you don't have a guarantee that everything and anything you post will be allowed to stand.
should they abuse this power, users will just stop coming here. granted, in this case, it seemed appropriate, but i think we can all just chill out.
Pitch fast, throw strikes, change speeds. -Ray Miller
by madhatternalice on
Apr 8, 2008 5:39 PM EDT
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I also don't think he called you a dick.
Sounded to me like he was explaining a pretty self-evident policy.
by punkrawka on
Apr 7, 2008 1:40 PM EDT
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uh?
I was giving you the reason the comment was hidden -- or since I didn't even do it, why I suspected it was hidden.
Shitting on someone's grammar and spelling is pointless. It's why it was hidden, I believe. I wasn't directing anything at you, dude.
by SC on
Apr 7, 2008 2:03 PM EDT
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I misunderstood you...
...I apologize. And I'm glad we're...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS_wik3Rum8
And I hear you, shitting on grammar and spelling is wack. A bridge too far? I dunno...not for me. If it were up to me, and it ain't, I'd probably let whoever he was fucking with tell him to fuck off. But it's not as egregious a "hide" as I initially thought.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 7, 2008 2:23 PM EDT
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No kidding
They should at least be referred to the Subcommittee or something...
"Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crowbar once a day."
by spike2131 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:55 PM EDT
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and for the record
We've always been able to delete. It's just the "hide" tool that is new. We just hardly use it, because this is a pretty free-swingin' place.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 1:29 PM EDT
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and further for the record,
I did the hiding. The comment looked to me to be a personal attack. I'm not saying exitfare intended it that way, but I certainly felt it could and would be interpreted as hurtful. If exitfare has an issue with it, I welcome him to take it up with me. I'll be happy to explain.
by zknower on
Apr 7, 2008 1:32 PM EDT
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I felt like I was in a time warp
This was my second game this season (also went to Opening Day), and I am loving the "this or that" feature where they ask the players to choose between two bands. For all those wondering, relish won the hot dog race, and the middle crab had the ball in the crab shuffle (it always seems to be the middle one). Also, it took some kid 53 seconds to run from the right field wall to second base, take the bag out, and run back to the wall with the bag for some Esskay groundskeeper contest (he had 60 seconds to do it). It seemed like he was running in MASN super slow-mo. American schools should not be cutting PE classes.
I also love how little B-Rob's entrance music has been Biggie's "Hypnotize" since I can remember. That alone gets me fired up. Luuuuuuke, our new favorite player, comes to the plate with Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell".
I was also amazed at how loud the crowd got in the bottom of the ninth. The place was half empty as usual, but it seemed like no one left before the end, perhaps because of the quick pace of the game. I suppose the fans who show up on a cold, rainy April day (the vendors sold hot chocolate) tend to be the true ones.
I also just sat in my seat (a few rows up in the upper deck to the first base side of home plate) for a few minutes after the game, savoring the feeling. Then headed to the bathroom, where some drunk dudes were yelling about how the O's will win the AL East and how all the experts were wrong. Then the Yankees Suck chant started. Some things never change.
by Cockeysville Rec Council on Apr 7, 2008 1:55 AM EDT 0 recs
You know..
That was one of the best post-game recaps I have EVER read.
by Y Not on
Apr 7, 2008 8:32 AM EDT
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crowd came across well on TV
I was surprised how loud it got.
by SC on
Apr 7, 2008 9:10 AM EDT
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It really did
Plus a friend at the game kept calling and giving me and 2632 updates. Though he claims that Luke Scott's at-bat music is "I wanna be your dog." Confirmation/denial?
"Yeah, I mean - Cal was much more important to me growing up than Jesus. And frankly, set just as good an example. Loyalty, discipline, hard work, humility, generosity, charity, AND 3,184 career hits. Is JESUS in the 3,000 hit club? I don't think so." - 2632
by Kristen on
Apr 7, 2008 9:12 AM EDT
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Ah, okay.
We were not told who won the hot dog race, though which is surprising because usually, those are the kind of updates we get. See what winning does? Makes people slack in their duties! I'm glad now we know.
"Yeah, I mean - Cal was much more important to me growing up than Jesus. And frankly, set just as good an example. Loyalty, discipline, hard work, humility, generosity, charity, AND 3,184 career hits. Is JESUS in the 3,000 hit club? I don't think so." - 2632
by Kristen on
Apr 7, 2008 9:21 AM EDT
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I need to take better mental notes
Someone's music is Rebel Yell. I'll need to go to another game soon and confirm/deny whose song is whose next time.
One additional note- the players' parking lot was right behind our section, so my friends and I stopped to observe it on the way out. It might be the least flashy lot in the majors, which is not surprising considering how many young guys we have. There was a Hummer, some Benzes, and an old school muscle car. Plenty of pickups, which is not surprising given how many are country bumpkins. The funniest were a Toyota Camry and a big-ass passenger van (I am guessing Melmo drives this one to transport his wife and six kids).
Maybe if I happen to be in the area a few hours before gametime and am really bored, I'll camp out at the lot like a groupie and see exactly who drives what.
by Cockeysville Rec Council on
Apr 7, 2008 11:08 AM EDT
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I definitely heard Rebel Yell
when Luke came up at least once. Maybe they just played it randomly or by accident? I remember last year there was some disagreement over whether Corey Patterson's song was Nuthin but a G thang or the Thong Song.
Formerly known as Javylicious.
by Stacey on
Apr 7, 2008 12:32 PM EDT
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this reminds me...
of the chris gomez confusion last year. i distincly recalled hearing a pixies song for his walkup at a game i was at and someone who posted here that was at the same game said they heard something else.
curious.
by j.q. higgins on
Apr 7, 2008 12:34 PM EDT
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Chris Gomez's song was the Pixies
"Monkey gone to heaven"
Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at the word itself: "Mankind". Basically, it's made up of two separate words—"mank" and "ind". What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.
-Jack Handey
by jobe on
Apr 8, 2008 1:57 AM EDT
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yeah, i couldn't recall...
it seems to me that wave of mutilation gets used sometimes at opacy and here comes your man accompanies the occasional pitching change.
by j.q. higgins on
Apr 8, 2008 11:16 AM EDT
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Every Gomez AB I saw
was accompanied by the Pixies. This lead me to believe Gomez was a bit of a hipster.
by Jonny Pops on
Apr 8, 2008 7:26 AM EDT
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some guys have a few songs used in rotation
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:37 PM EDT
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def...
Nuthin' But A G Thang
Improving the ballclub: Not one of Peter Angelos' concerns.-SC Wed Jan 30, 2008
by dayzd toe on
Apr 8, 2008 9:47 AM EDT
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Dude, the TODD graphic was the tits.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on Apr 7, 2008 9:47 AM EDT 0 recs
so
the tits can be used as an adjective. Nice.
Wolf, wolf, wolf.
by birdman on
Apr 7, 2008 1:07 PM EDT
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The Tits is Birdland
"Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crowbar once a day."
by spike2131 on
Apr 7, 2008 1:23 PM EDT
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Or Birdland is The Tits.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 2:35 PM EDT
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HEY
What did we JUST say about grammar fights??...
;-)
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 4:31 PM EDT
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well, it can in my book.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
by 2632 on
Apr 7, 2008 2:35 PM EDT
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Ushers
Adam Jones was signing autographs before the start of the game; the Ushers wouldn't let me go down there because I didn't have a ticket for that section.
I said, "Look, there's Adam Jones signing autographs!" The usher said, "No he's not. That's some batboy." I replied, "A batboy who's signing autographs?"
This exchange went on a few minutes. The usher didn't know who was Adam Jones. Eventually he gave up. By the way, Adam Jones is a very nice guy."
by alizarian on Apr 7, 2008 11:37 AM EDT 0 recs
I saw the ushers throw a group of people out of a section they didn't belong to
This was the Friday night game. They might have been unruly; I don't know. All I know is the section they were thrown out of was almost empty, and the reason they were removed was indeed because they didn't have tickets for that section.
by PhilR8 on
Apr 7, 2008 12:36 PM EDT
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Weird
I guess I just lucked out with my ushers. They were all awesome. And we wandered all over the park and never sat in the actual seats on my tickets.
Formerly known as Javylicious.
by Stacey on
Apr 7, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
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Likewise
I had the same luck. It always seemed too easy to move around, actually.
by KDub420 on
Apr 9, 2008 3:54 PM EDT
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